Pullen accused plead guilty to manslaughter

TWO men will accompany police to a location west of Collinsville to attempt to recover the body of Mackay man Timothy John Pullen.

In the Supreme Court in Mackay this morning, Zane Tray Lincoln and Benjamin Francis Graeme Oakley pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Pullen on April 16, 2012.

Stephen Dale Renwick and Luke Shayne Kister pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to manslaughter. That is, that on April 17, 2012, they disposed of Mr Pullen's body at a location west of Collinsville.

Renwick, Lincoln and Oakley had originally been charged with the murder of Mr Pullen but pleaded guilty to the amended indictments this morning.

That changed the charges from murder and accessory to murder to manslaughter and accessory to manslaughter.

Mr Pullen's body has never been recovered.

The Crown prosecutor, Michael Cowen, asked that Renwick and Kister be granted bail until sentencing on Friday.

Mr Cowen said arrangements would be made for the men to assist police by taking them to the location of Mr Pullen's body tomorrow.

He said at present the method of disposal was unknown, but more information could affect Kister's and Renwick's sentencings.

Justice Duncan McMeekin said it was an "unusual" course to take, but that Mr Pullen's family would like to know the location of their son's body.

Renwick will attend the police station at 8am tomorrow and Kister will attend at 10am.

Oakley's and Lincoln's sentencings are expected to commence at 11.30am.